hi everyone! i am a soon-to-be single mom of a three year old determined to get her life and her weight under control. i have always had a problem with sugar, although i was skinny until pregnant. then my weight shot up 117 pounds and i have yet to get an ounce off!!!

i have been living in denial and now with a new start on life including an amicable divorce, looking for a fulltime job and a new wonderful relationship, i am ready to commit and get these pounds off.

i would love some help and any support you ladies might offer. i have never been low carb before but after being diagnosed with syndrome X realize i cannot eat normally - aka injest lots of carbs. i was on weight watchers and would lose down to 215 just to shoot right back up.

i am currently 230 and my goal is 120!

i just bought atkins diet and have a few quick questions:
1. can i stay on induction longer than 14 days?
2. what exercises do you ladies do?
3. does this really work or do you lose/gain? i really do not wish to yo-yo!!!

thank you all so much! i will go through the forum to find answers but thought i would go ahead and ask anyway!

we are all in this together!

Welcome Missy!

You really do lose (a lot) if you stay on-plan (OP) and make this a Way of Life or Way of Eating (WOE). Personally I plan to be on Induction until I hit my goal weight, although I may eventually add more veggies. I walk most nights and intend to start weight training at a gym in Feb.

Key things to remember:
Water - Most important thing
Supplements - at least a good multi-vitamin, most of us also take potassium/calcium/magnesium for added benefits. (there's a recent post on this, I'll see if I can bump it up for you)

You have found the right place to make some great new friends and get TONS of support!

I started LoCarb on January 1 and have so far lost 7 pounds. I am a very slow loser, and many folks lose faster than that. I have heard that you can stay on induction as long as you want. I am right now doing a modified version of induction where I keep my carbs to 20g or less per day and eat a wider range of foods than those listed as suitable for Induction. Still, I don't eat anything that has more than 2 or 3 carbs per serving.

I hope that you have found the plan for you. Once you get past the adjstment part of it... the first two weeks for me... it is easy and you feel great!
GinaMarie

Welcome Missy,

Good luck on your journey, these ladies are filled with love and information to help you along your way.

Love, Leenie

Welcome to our group

1. can i stay on induction longer than 14 days?
You can stay on it longer, you can also switch back and forth, depends what works for you.

2. what exercises do you ladies do?
There are a wide variety of ways to exercise out there, just find something that works for you. I personally go to the gym and ocassionally do some exercise at home.

3. does this really work or do you lose/gain? i really do not wish to yo-yo!!!
From what I've read, you don't really yo-yo because you don't lose as much lean muscle as you do on low fat diets. Instead you lose fat. You could of course gain weight back if you go back to an uncontrolled carb diet.

I am in touch with a friend that lost 114 lbs in just over a year staying on plan, it can be done it will depend on your determination. and prioritys

thank you all so much for your kind words of support and encouragement. i am really looking forward to my new low carb way of life.

i got dr. atkins book as it is the most restrictive and seems to be the best one out there. i am really excited and start induction on saturday!

A late welcome, missy... there's a huge amount of information from these wise women.

remember: there's no need to 'suffer' on this. it's a major life change, yes, there's no doubt about that. but that doesn't mean it has to be painful. when other people are eating sandwiches, you can enjoy luscious blue cheese dressing. enjoy what's YOURS and make it the best tasting meal, snack, whatever, that you can,

I have only been on the Atkins program for 3 weeks and 2 days and have lost 16 pounds.

I never have been skinny but I sure have weighed alot less than I do now. With each of my kids I gained 50 + pounds. After my first child I knew I had to loose the weight to have another one because I am only 5'1" and was weighing 205 after giving birth. Well, I had my son and was done so here I sat between 180-205 for the past 13 years.

I have tried every diet but have been unable to succeed. I prayed for God to help me and that I would succeed. I am doing fantastic and so excited. I am staying on induction for now. I am not sure how long I will stay on it but I am happy with my food choices andhave not become bored yet. I am trying to keep it interesting.

One thing I am not doing is exercising. I am a 9-1-1 dispatcher andhave to sit in a chair for 12 hours per day for 7 days straight and then I get 7 days off. I am trying to play catch up at home and everything else. I am going to make a concious effort to exercise next week.

Just hang in there and good luck!

Welcome, Missy, and any other Newbies.
It looks as if you've received good answers to all your questions. I look forward to getting to know you better.
Linda

Fractured Miss, welcome!!

Personally, I have never ever been able to stick to any other diet for more than one week - I am serious!! This WOE is so easy for me and I enjoy it as well. Also, I feel physically so much better on it. Now, when I look back at what I ate before starting Atkins, I am shocked at the amount of carbs I ate!!

One thing is so important: water, water, water. When I am not drinking enough, I don't lose. Also, look at our food logs for great menu ideas!!

Welcome Missy!!

You've found a great place for help and support!!

Robin

Hi Missy,
I too have just joined this wonderful support group. My main excercise is chasing my 2 year old around. I can't believe I am not a size 2 for the amount I do this!! I am planning to stay on induction for 6 weeks, take a weekend off and keep at this scheldue. This really is the easiest plan Ihave ever followed and the energy I have is unbelievable.
Love Tammy

Hello Missy. I'm new here, too. My goal weight is 120lbs as well (I'm 5'2). I'm sure everything will work out for you. You can stay on induction as long as you'd like, provided that you leave yourself enough time for OWL (Ongoing Weight Loss) and the final two phases. It also depends on how fast you lose weight; if you lose it too fast you may not want to stay on Induction because Atkins warns it is dangerous to lose more than 1lb a day (wish I had that problem!?)